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registered trademarks of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

Andrew R Tyas

Regional Engineering Manager

DuPont Clean Technologies

African Refiners Association AGM

March 2013, Cape Town

IsoTherming®

Hydroprocessing Technology

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Contents

• DuPont Clean Technologies

• IsoTherming® Principles

• Revamp Approach

• Capital and Operating Cost Savings

• Commercial Offerings

• Conclusions

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DuPont Clean Technologies Strategic Businesses & Offerings

Alkylation STRATCO® H2SO4 Alkylation Technology

Hydroprocessing IsoTherming® Hydrocracking &

Hydrotreating Technology

Air Pollution Control BELCO® Clean Air Technologies

Sulphuric Acid MECS® Sulphuric Acid & Environmental

Technologies

Oil Recovery MATRx® Enhanced Oil Recovery

Technologies

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IsoTherming® Overview

This is a step-change versus standard (trickle bed)

technology for hydrotreating :

• Commercially Available Catalysts

• Lower Capital Investment

• Lower Cost Revamps

• Lower Operating Expense

• Operating Flexibility

• Ultra Low Sulphur

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IsoTherming® Applications

• “Euro V” Diesel or USA “Ultra Low Sulphur

Diesel” (Both < 10 ppm Sulphur)

• Vacuum Gas Oil (FCC Feed) Hydrotreating

• Mild Hydrocracking

• Grass Roots or Low Cost Revamps of

Existing Units

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IsoTherming® History • IsoTherming® developed by Process Dynamics – a

technology development company based in Fayetteville,

Arkansas, U.S.A.

• First commercial unit: Diesel Hydrotreater Unit revamp in

April 2003 for U.S.A. ULSD (<10 ppm sulfur)

• DuPont acquired IsoTherming® Clean Fuel Technology in

2007

• Licensed by DuPont Sustainable Solutions

• Twenty References

• 11 ULSD Grassroots

• 3 ULSD Revamps

• 4 Mild Hydrocrackers Grassroots

• 1 VGO Hydrotreater Grassroots

• 1 VGO Hydrotreater Revamp

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Conventional Trickle Bed Process Flowscheme

Two Phase Reactor

Once Through Liquid

Gas Recycle

Distribution critical

Hydrogen diffuses into liquid as it is

consumed in the catalyst bed

AMINE

SCRUBBER

SEPARATOR

TO LP FLASH / STABILISER

MAKE UP

HYDROGEN

HP FLASH

RECYCLE GAS COMPRESSOR

FEED

MAKE UP COMPRESSOR

CONDENSER FEED/EFFLUENT

EXCHANGERS

HEATER

REACTOR

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IsoTherming® Process Flowscheme

Single Phase Reactor

Once Through Hydrogen

Liquid Recycle

All Hydrogen in liquid

phase within the catalyst

bed

Distribution less critical

MAKE UP

HYDROGEN

FEED

MAKE UP COMPRESSOR

REACTOR


RECYCLE PUMP

HEATER

MIXER

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IsoTherming® Advantages (1)

• Recycle of Hydrogen Accomplished by Liquid Recycle

• Elimination of Recycle Gas Equipment in Grassroots Units

• Liquid Phase Ensures Catalyst Bed Completely Wetted

1) All Catalyst Sites Utilised

• More effective use of catalyst

2) Minimizes Hot Spot Formation

• Decreased catalyst deactivation / coking / thermal cracking

• Decreased light end formation

• Increased diesel yields

• Heat of Reaction Absorbed by High Liquid Recycle Rate

• Adiabatic temperature rise much less than conventional technology

• Reactor operation is tending towards isothermal conditions

• Lower heater firing rates during normal operation

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• Flexibility in Reactor Shape

• L/D and bed depth not dependent on two phase flow regime

• Reactor Fabrication

• Often, reactor diameter and wall thickness can be minimized to allow use of cold-rolled plate instead of forged plate

• Reactor design can be optimized for local fabricator capabilities and transportation logistics

• Projects not dependent on just a few fabricators worldwide

• Shorter reactor delivery time possible

• Can be optimized based on fabricator’s capabilities

• Plot Plan can be Smaller than Conventional

• Customers have reported up to 4 times smaller when comparing proposals

• Heat Integration can Lead to Smaller Carbon/GHG Footprint

IsoTherming® Advantages (2)

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Challenges for Revamping Existing Units

• Increasing desulphurisation and/or capacity requires more reactor

capacity, more make-up gas and more recycle gas.

• Increased gas circulation and/or feed increases pressure drop

through heat exchangers, condensers, furnaces, reactors, amine

column.

• Recycle compressors typically have very limited capability for more

throughput combined with increased head especially if unit already

revamped.

• In many designs, hydrogen make-up is routed to recycle

compressor inlet. The required recycle compressor capacity is then

increased by two effects :

• More make-up hydrogen required

• Increased recycle rate required due to higher consumption if outlet hydrogen

partial pressure is to be maintained

• Extensive modifications may be required to overcome these

bottlenecks 10

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Conventional Trickle Bed Revamp, Impact of

additional Hydrogen Requirement

AMINE

SCRUBBER

SEPARATOR


MAKE UP

HYDROGEN

HP FLASH


FEED

MAKE UP COMPRESSOR


EXCHANGERS

HEATER

REACTOR

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PRESSURE DROP INCREASES, COMPRESSOR HEAD DECREASES

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MAKE UP

HYDROGEN

HP FLASH

AMINE

SCRUBBER


Conventional Trickle Bed Revamp For Euro V

FEED

MAKE UP COMPRESSOR

SEPARATOR

ADDITIONAL REACTOR



EXCHANGERS

HEATER

OLD

REACTOR

NEW OR ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT MODIFIED EQUIPMENT 11

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MAKE UP

HYDROGEN

HP FLASH

AMINE

SCRUBBER


FEED

MAKE UP COMPRESSOR

SEPARATOR



EXCHANGERS

R

E

A

C

T

O

R

REACTOR

RECYCLE PUMP

HEATER

NEW OR ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT MODIFIED EQUIPMENT

RECYCLE GAS HEATER

IsoTherming® Revamp

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Advantages of IsoTherming® Revamp

• New IsoTherming® Reactor achieves 80-90% of hydrogen

consumption without gas recycle.

• Existing reactor operates as finishing reactor in a less

kinetically constrained mode.

• Preheat system operates in liquid phase therefore reducing

pressure drop and increasing feed capacity.

• Hydrogen consumption in existing reactor is now low.

• Minimal ties-ins during shutdown.

• Greater desulphurisation and/or feedrate achieved without

increasing recycle gas capacity. In many studies recycle

capacity can be reduced.

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IsoTherming® Reactor Skid Ciniza Ist Project

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Woods Cross, UT, USA

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Cost Comparisons

• Grassroots Design Capital Savings

• 25 – 35 % savings depending on application

• Operating Costs

• Direct Fuel 5 -10% Saving

• Power 30 - 40% Saving

• Energy Recovery (Steam Generation) +20 - 30%

Where economically justified, in large units IsoTherming® configuration

can recovery more energy depending on application. Power recovery is

also possible.

• Maintenance

• Less equipment, no recycle compressor

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IsoTherming® within DuPont

• Transformed the concept into a standard licensor offering

• Three pilot plants at DuPont’s Experimental Station (Wilmington, DE)

• Dedicated teams for Licensing, Process Design, Engineering Design, Technical Service, R&D

• Process Design Package compiled in house

• Access to DuPont’s Engineering Department for specialist input (eg rotating equipment, reactors, metallurgy, CFD studies)

NOTE : DuPont’s Engineering Department supports DuPont’s worldwide operations

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Summary

• IsoTherming® Hydroprocessing Technology may be

applied for ULSD (Euro V) and mild hydrocracking

service in either grassroots or revamp designs.

• Capital and operating costs can be lower than

conventional hydroprocessing technology.

• Project execution times are shorter than

conventional technology.

• The approach to revamping avoids costly gas

circuit debottlenecking and can relieve existing

compressor limitations

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THANK-YOU

Andrew R. Tyas

Regional Engineering Manager

DuPont Clean Technologies

Tel +44 1252 816796

[email protected]